About Dana

My dad gave me a beautiful Nikon film camera when I left for college (thanks dad!). Between my studies and the cost of developing film, I almost never used it. But in the spring of 2004, on my way to Nepal, I laid my hands on a digital camera for the first time and discovered a pastime that quickly became a passion.

Maybe it was because, as a former engineer, I loved the way that photography marries creativity and structure. Maybe it was a way for me to do something that's always been difficult: share what's most personal. What I know for sure is that I'm hooked.

Since that day, I've been constantly searching for opportunities to combine photography with every aspect of my life....friendships, family, work, and (of course) travel. It's a privilege to be able to share part of my journey with you. Thanks for taking a look.

September 14, 2010

The Back(hand) Story

I’ve been going to the U. S. Open for about 13 years. It’s my favorite sporting event, and each year seems to outdo each of the previous ones. Lots of handy tips about how to make attending more enjoyable have come my way: which tickets to buy, which sessions are likely to produce the best tennis, which bags are prohibited, the best seats on the Grandstand…they all leap to mind. But one of my favorite frequent-spectator tips is Gate D of Louis Armstrong court. The stadium is mostly first-come, first-served seating. Instead of standing in Space Mountain-esque lines of fans waiting for a changeover, those in the know climb the stairs just inside Gate D, emerge at the top of the stadium and drop into a free seat during play. On the way up the first staircase, you’ll pass some folding tables. At first, I assumed they were just left there; but year after year, they’ve reappeared in the same spot. Along with a plotter. I’ve been wondering about these tables for years. As evidence of my curiosity, here is a shot I took from the staircase last year (who knows who that dude is):

This year, when we passed the tables, people were there. Working. A chance to solve the mystery! In a few seconds we were talking to Frank. It turns out that this location, in the bowels of Armstrong stadium, is the U.S. Open scoreboard management center. Frank, pictured below, described the 12-hour days he puts in, climbing the scoreboard again and again to paste the stenciled names and scores on the board (within 10 minutes of the end of each match!). It sounds insane, but it obviously gets easier later in the tournament.

Frank was great, even waving hello to us when we saw him the next day (we were kinda yelling his name from the ground at the time). I was nearly tempted to ask him how I could become a harnessed-scoreboard-stenciler-paster-guy, too. But I’d probably rather wait in a line snaking through Armstrong stadium.